Wire unreeling apparatus



Mm'cli 14,1950 c. METZLER 2,500,697

HIRE UNREELING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27. 1947 C/aude L. Metz/er- INVENTOR.

ATTORNE'YS.

Patented Mar. 14 1950 WIRE TINREELING APPARATUS Claude L. Metzler, Berea, H0, am to The American Steel and Wire Company oi New J ersey, a corporationof New Jersey Application August 27, 1947, Serial No. 770,831

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for unreeling wire from spools or coils, and particularly for continuously unreeling wire from non-revolving spools or coils.

The apparatus of the present invention is especially suited for paying off wire to wire drawing dies in continuous wire drawing operations, wherein the trailing end of the wire on each spool is butt welded to the leading end of the wire on the next spool, and thus a continuous length of wire passes through the dies. However, it is obvious that use of the apparatus is not limited to this or any other specific application, but may involve any application where it is desired to unreel wire continuously.

An object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for successively feeding spools or coils of wire to a pay-off position where the wire is unreeled, while maintaining the spool or 0011 stationary.

' A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for continuously paying-oil wire wherein the leading and trailing ends of successive coils may be joined preliminary to feeding of the coil, and such joining does not interfere with paying 01! of the wire.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved wire unreeling apparatus wherein. actuation of stops discharges an exhausted spool from pay-oif position and moves a full spool thereto by" tails of structure, a preferred-form of which is" shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through an unreeling apparatus embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the apparatus; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line III-III of Figure 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a box-like chute In of rectangular crosssection and preferably of sheet or structural steel. The chute is supported in a downwardly inclined position by any suitable supporting elements, as, for example, side plates or legs II, as shown in Figure 1. Preferably angle iron cross braces i2 span the underside of the chute floor to furnish pay-off position and a second spool ll ready to be shifted to pay-off position when the wire from spool i3 is exhausted. The leading end of the wire of spool I4 is welded to the trailing end of the wire of spool I3, as indicated at I5. Thus, when spool I3 is exhausted, paying 011 of wire may continue from spool l4. 7 The spools are retained in the positions shown by retractable stops it and I1 that project throughthe chute-floor and engage said spools. The details of the stop mechanism are shown in Figure-3, which shows stop IE, it being understood that stop i1 is of similar construction.

Stop It includes pins I8 and I! which are pivoted to the adjacent cross brace I2. Said pins project through slots 22 and 23 in the chute floor, and in their extended position they engage the spools as shown in Figure 1 to prevent the spools sliding down the chute. A U-shaped operating handle 24 is pivoted to said pins. Movement of said handle to the right. as viewed in Figure 3,

retracts the pins, whereby the spool is free to slide down the chute.

A preferred-form of mechanism for guiding wire paid oif from a stationary coil is shown in detail in Figures 1 and 2. The chute top has a circular opening 25 of somewhat larger size than a spool and being coaxial with spool l3 in pay-ofl position. Said opening is surrounded by a guide flange 26 of circular outline. A cross arm 21, having rollers 28 riding on the inside of said flange, extends across the diameter of the opening and is adapted to revolve about the spool axis. One end of said arm carries a tubular spindle 29, to which a sheave bearing 30 is pivoted to turn about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the arm. A sheave wheel 3| is rotativean axis normal to theaxis of rotation of the hearing. The bore of spindle 28 is tangential to the circumference of sheave 3|.

It is to be noted that wire is commonly reeled on spools in such fashion that both the leading and trailing ends of a full spool are accessible externally to permit welding to both end.

The operation of an improved unreeling apparatus constructed as described is as follows:

The leading end of wire on a spool is fed around sheave 3| and through the bore of spindle 29 to the wire drawing dies or other mechanism in which the wire is to be used. The trailing end of the wire on this spool is welded to the leading end of wire on another spool.

The first spool is introduced to the chute from the upper end, from which it slides by gravity to stationary pay-off position It. The second spool is similarly introduced to the chute and occupies upper position ll. The spools are retained in these positions by stops l and I! respectively, which are extended.

Wire is paid off from spool l3 by a force applied to the wire externally of .the apparatus.

Pull on the wire turns arm'2'l about the spool axis and carries the wire from the spool. At the same time sheave baring 30 and sheave 3| turn about their respective axes so that said sheave is always directed toward the spool and guides the wire through the spindle bore. 4

In the meantime the trailing end of the wire on spool I4 is welded to the leading end of the wire on a third spool. I When the wire on spool I3 is exhausted, stops it and l I are retracted by the mechanism shown. The spool i3 slides through the open lower end of the chute by gravity and is' discharged and spool l4 slides to pay-ofi position, where it is retained by again extending stop It. The third spool is introduced to upper position in the chute.

Thus it is seen that with the improved apparatus of the present invention spools may be moved to pay-off position continually with no interruption of.unre eling. By maintaining the spools stationary during paying ofi of the wire,

the danger of snarls is eliminated and the trailing ends are free for welding.

While I have described only a single embodiment of theinvention, it is apparentthat modifications may arise without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited by the disclosure set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I 1. Wire unreeling apparatus comprising a downwardly inclined chute, retractable stop means for retaining a spool of wire in said chute retractable stop means projecting into said chute for retaining a spool of wire in a pay-oil position, additional retractable stop means for retaining a second spool in a position above payoff position from which it may be shifted to payoff position, and means for guiding wire unreeled from the spool in pay-oil position.

4. Wire unreeling apparatus comprising a downwardly inclined chute having open ends, retractable stop means projecting into said chute for retaining a spool of wire in a pay-off position, additional retractable stop means for retaining a second spool in a position above pay= off position from which it ma be shifted bygravity to pay-oil position on retraction oi. said additional stop means, the spool in pay-oil'"pos'itionbeing discharged from the chute on retraction of'said first-named stop means, and means for guiding wire unreeled from the spool in pay-oi? position.

5. Wire unreeling apparatus comprising a downwardly inclined chute having open ends,

retractable stop means projecting into said chute for retaining a spool of wire in a stationary payoff position, additional retractable stop means for retaining a second spool of wire in a position above pay-off position from which it may be shifted to pay-oil position, and rotatable means for guiding wire unreeled from the spool in payofi position.

6. Wire unreeling apparatus comprising a downwardly, inclined chute having open ends,

in a pay-ofi position, retractable stop means for retaining a second spool in a position above pay-off position from which it maybe shifted to pay-oil position, and means for'guiding wire unretractable stop means projecting into said chute for retaining a spool of wire in a stationary payofi position, additional retractable stop means for retaining a second spool in a position above pay-off position from which it may be shifted by gravity to pay-ofi position on retraction of said additional stop means, the spool in pay-ofi position being discharged from the chute on retraction of said first-named stop means, and rotatable means for guiding wire unreeled from the spool in pay-oil position.

CLAUDE L. METZLER.

REFERENCES I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 755,398 Schwartz Mar. 22, 1904 1,007,039 McCullough Oct. 24, 1911 1,872,045 Smitmans Aug. 16, 1932 2,458,318 Tuit Jan. 4, 1949 

